AND . . . have you been checking out the interviews from Wizard World Chicago
by the Shots in the Dark crew? Yeah, that’s our boys (and girl). Lucas,
Janelle, Vince, John, Eric, Steve, and Josh knocked themselves out at
WWC, grabbing some terrific interviews amid the crazy logistics of the
show floor. If you’ve never seen the regular show, check it out at www.shotgunreviews.com/shots.
The show’s about to evolve again in the near future, so get on board
now so you can say, “I watched Shots in the Dark before they were huge
sell-outs.”

And now, regular reviews . . .

Astonishing X-Men #25

From: Marvel

Writer: Warren Ellis

Art: Simone Bianchi

Colors: Simone Peruzzi

Letters: Chris Eliopoulos

Review by Troy Brownfield

This might be one of the few times in Warren Ellis’s career that he’s
got a really tough act to follow. Obviously, the Whedon-Cassaday combo
had many fans, and just as obviously, Ellis is not a guy who employs
the same kind of approach as Whedon. I liked what Whedon did, but I
have the feeling that some people won’t give this a fair shake because
they’re totally enamored of Whedon.

That’s a shame, because Warren Ellis gets it. His vision fits perfectly
with the new status quo for the X-line, and he writes the X-Men (with
the in-character exception of Armor) as canny veterans. I also like
that Ellis brings his humor to bear on the script. Both of those
notions are evident in the scene with Storm and Emma Frost. These two
have been mortal enemies in the past, but there’s an almost meta
acknowledgement of the fact that allegiances in the X-World shift
frequently, and that former hated foes can wind up as teammates. The
use of the X-Men in an official capacity for powered threats to San
Francisco is sensible as well, as is Cyclops’ suggestion that they
modify their uniforms for dealings with public officials. This approach
suggests that Ellis spent real time examining the angles and
applications of the new situation.

As for the visuals, Simone Bianchi’s art comes from a darker place than
Cassaday’s (part of that is the colors), and that’s fine. There’s flair
and energy in the look of this issue, and the whole enterprise carries
a very modern feel.

I think that this is a fine “new direction” issue. Inasmuch as Whedon’s
run had a great classic feel, I also enjoy the forward-looking
aesthetic that tends to be a hallmark of Ellis’s work. I’m looking
forward to seeing how it plays.

Batman #678

From: DC Comics

Writer: Grant Morrison

Art: Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea

Review by Troy Brownfield

The first two parts of “Batman R.I.P.” have, in my view, gone
swimmingly. This issue, on the other hand, seems like more of a bump in
the road as a combination of factors threw it off for me. One of the
things not working for me in this issue would be some of the
Morrisonian indulgences. I’m a big fan of Morrison, but the constant
riffing on Silver Age stories in this one is a bit off-putting. I’m
familiar with the stories being referenced, so I can’t imagine the
confusion that would be present for someone who’s not familiar with
those stories. In a way, it’s common to my knocks on Final Crisis #1; Morrison seems to, at this stage of his writing, expect everyone to have his vast knowledge of the history of the DCU.

Another subcategory of the Silver Age references: is this supposed to
be a tale the retrofits continuity? I know that people frequently bitch
when you mention continuity in a review, but here’s the thing: if a
company asks you to invest in their continuity, then it’s a fair
question. So . . . is this story trying to grandfather some of those older tales back in, or is it merely using those old stories as items to feed the fever dream than the unraveling Bruce Wayne seems to be experiencing?

I’m finding the art to be a bit of a challenge, too. I think that
Daniel was fine of the first couple of parts, but his members of the
Bat-family seem somewhat interchangeable. There’s not a lot of
difference in face or anatomy between Bruce, Dick, and Tim, and it can
make you stop and ask who’s where. The best example is early on; if you
didn’t see the red bike and helmet fairly quickly, that young man could
be Tim, Dick, or even Jason Todd (it’s Tim).

Overall, I don’t think that this issue ruins “R.I.P.”. I typically
enjoy surrealistic fare on its own merits, but Morrison lately seems to
want to play surrealism and Silver Age referencing at the same time.
Sometimes it works, and sometimes it’s wonky. Perhaps by the end of
this arc, everything will make perfect sense. As it is right now, it
feels like there’s perhaps a bit too much effort to make things seem
strange and disconnected, rather than letting the dread and discomfort
flow out of the story naturally.

Witchblade #119

From: Top Cow Productions

Written by: Ron Marz

Art By: Stjepan Sejic

Reviewed by Tim Janson

The latest issue of Witchblade is told almost entirely in a flashback
sequence, which I’ve always found to be a bit annoying. Detective Sara
Pezzini is being interrogated by Internal Affairs over a recent
incident and Pezzini relates the details in the flashback sequence. She
and her partner had just finished investigating a murder scene when she
was attacked by an incredibly fast, and invisible assailant.

The battle moves onto a tanker truck which speeds through the city,
destroying a car and nearly hitting two innocent bystanders. It’s
interesting to read Pezzini’s dialog and account of the incident. They
tell a completely different story than the art as Sara was in
Witchblade mode, fighting her green-haired, female foe. This was the
best part of the story as you’ll see Sara use her quick wits to explain
to the investigator just how she managed to survive without revealing
anything about her secret. This was actually a flashback sequence that
worked because of Marz’ and Sejic’s clever framing of the story and
contrasting the action and dialog. Sara’s attacker is soon unmasked, so
to speak, and it is quite a surprise for fans of the Top Cow universe.

I loved Sara’s verbal sparring with the investigating officer,
Inspector Phipps. Despite her precarious position and her previous
history of similar incidents, Sara is not about to take any crap and
tells him so. This tenacity is something I love about the Sara Pezzini
character and the reason that I hope the split of the Witchblade is
ended soon and given back solely to Sara. She’s just a more dynamic and
interesting character than Danielle Baptiste. Speaking of Dani she is
mentioned, but noticeable absent from this issue.

Sejic’s art continues to be a major plus to the series. His painted
work displays incredible uses of light and shadows and gradients of
smoke and haze throughout the battle on the tanker truck. There is an
attention to detail that I think a lot of artists would just shun as
being unnecessary.

Baghdad Journal

Written & Illustrated by Steve Mumford

Published by Drawn & Quarterly

Reviewed by Michael C Lorah

Though it’s not truly “comics,” Steve Mumford’s collection of essays
and paintings based on his trips to war-torn Iraq captures the humanity
in the middle of astonishingly challenging circumstances. Mumford made
his first trip to Iraq in 2003, only months after the fighting began;
after Mumford’s words and images initially appeared on artnet.com,
Drawn and Quarterly publisher Chris Oliveros saw the work and decided
that the juxtaposition of text and art deserved a home at his company.

Each essay brings to light a different facet of life in the war zone.
Mumford describes the lifestyles of artisans in Baghdad he’s
befriended, while also witnessing the daily to-do of life for
shopkeepers, homemakers and students just trying to get on with their
lives. The varied reactions of the Iraqis he meets are some of the most
compelling tales of war that I’ve ever read, from those who hated
Saddam Hussein’s rule but don’t see American occupation as an
improvement to Iraqis who hope the country can rise above the current
turmoil and seize opportunities for its citizens that would’ve been
denied by the former regime.

Other essays focus on the diversity of American troops, and as with the
sections that focus on the lives of Iraqis, the myriad opinions Mumford
finds provide readers with a full and truly non-partisan view of the
conflict. For every soldier who finds the leadership directionless and
flawed, there is another who believes completely that he or she is
bringing freedom and democracy to Iraq. Some G.I.s are rude, some are
deeply concerned, and some are passing time until their tour is over.
On the ground, the lines between right and wrong are much more complex
than armchair moralizers will ever realize.

Despite being a painter foremost, Mumford’s words are colorful and
astute; he captures the complexities of people’s opinions without
allowing his own feelings to filter anything. Strong and precise, the
writing complements the reality shown in his images.

Mumford’s paintings, drawn while on the streets of the cities of
Baghdad or later reconstructed from photos taken while on patrol or
while in a firefight, are impressionist pieces. Each one is sketchy and
loose, capturing the uncertainty of the country’s existence, yet the
focus remains on the human beings living in the midst of the turmoil.
Mumford is able to capture the daily routines with a muted desert-brown
palette that is real and emotionally rich.

Apolitical and pro-humanity, Steve Mumford’s Baghdad Journal
is a compelling document about life on the ground in Iraq in the year
after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government. Maybe it’s not truly a
comic book, but Mumford’s use of text and art has created a more
rounded and humane portrait of the lives lived in the cradle of
humanity than any other recent similar attempt.

DEMO

Written by Brian Wood

Art by Becky Cloonan

Published by DC/Vertigo

Review by Sarah Jaffe

Re-released last week on Vertigo, DEMO was Brian Wood and
Becky Cloonan’s take on young people dealing with ‘superpowers’—except
these superpowers are a burden and the stories draw as much from a
James Joyce-ian epiphany as the hero’s journey.

DEMO is more magical realism than superhero comic, more about
people than anything else. At the core, these are stories about one
person’s relationship with one or two others, or in a few stories, how
that person’s relation to the world is shaped and twisted. Then again,
aren’t all really good stories about humanity, not gimmicks?

It reads as a collection like a rock album, each story its own
three-minute love song. Or maybe the perfect mix tape, to draw on a
theme already evoked by one of the stories. It’s rare to find single
issues as satisfying as these, as complete.

It’s at once a lot like Local and completely different. Where Local
is hyper-real, each of these stories are a bit dreamy, a little strange
yet still familiar, so when you feel them cut to the heart it’s that
much more surprising.

Becky Cloonan’s art is amazing. She shifts styles in each story, from
the sketchy-creepy feel of “What You Wish For” to the stark,
woodcut-like “One Shot, Don’t Miss,” and you never notice the lack of
color—it would just be clutter. And Wood has an eye both for the
million little ways people can hurt each other, and for all the tiny
beautiful pieces that make up a life. Most importantly, he knows when
to let the art tell the story.

The opening story, “NYC,” sets up the entire series with one line:
“Ever get this weird feeling that you’re different somehow?” It’s the
quintessential coming-of-age tale summed up in 24 pages—the cutting
loose, the tears, the trip to hell and back, and the celebration of
freedom. Cloonan’s panels read like film stills: a shot in the rearview
mirror, one from a low angle, close-ups, medium shots.

“Emmy” is an extended metaphor for puberty as a reservoir of terrifying
power. Her voice is her weapon, and yet she can’t control it so she is
silent. It could also signify sexuality, especially since it is sexual
comments that lead her to lose control. When she was younger, “it was
fun,” but now that she’s older she realizes the danger in the power she
holds.

A family story, “Bad Blood” is about loss, and about the realization
that you can’t escape who you are. Cloonan makes the most of what could
have been a bunch of talking heads, and when the action comes it’s
sudden, violent, and visceral.

“Stand Strong” is the first to veer away from a ‘superpower’ as the
base of the story and to blend it into the action so that you barely
notice it. It’s one of the more male stories, if stories truly can have
genders like Neil Gaiman says, and it’s about growing up and accepting
truths that aren’t glamorous and realizing that real love doesn’t look
like what you thought. It’s about the pressure of loyalty to friends
who really just want to drag you down, and worrying about what’s worse:
disappointing your friends or disappointing yourself. The heavy
linework here suits the vibe of the story—dark and slightly ponderous.

Possibly the best story here is “Girl You Want.” I could write pages on
this one by itself, but I’ve got limited space here. Kate is a
shapeshifter, but instead of choosing her own shape, she has them
forced upon her by people she meets. We’ve all known what it’s like for
someone to assume things about us that aren’t true, but imagine having
your body physically shift on you. Wood’s taken the gaze from film
theory and turned it into its own uniquely scary experience, but the
story doesn’t go where you expect it to, and is that much better for
it.

“What You Wish For” is gothic horror brought to suburbia. It’s one of
the weaker stories here, but even still has its chilling moments. Who
doesn’t remember that moment when your parents stood up for you and you
wanted to hide, knowing you’d just get it worse tomorrow? Also
interesting here is that the picked-on minority is Asian, not the usual
choice. And it would be worth reading just for the one beautifully
creepy panel with the skeleton rising behind the boy. Really, for all
the art, which is really allowed to move the story forward with little
narrative intrusion.

Set during the early days of the Iraq war, “One Shot, Don’t Miss” shows
the transition between the peacetime culture of the 90s and the endless
war of our current administration. It’s hard to believe now that only a
few years ago someone could have joined the military without really
expecting to have to fire a gun at someone. This story asks that
question—what would you do if asked to kill? Would it be worse if you
knew you couldn’t miss? The art here is even starker black and white,
it almost looks like a woodcut, and the silent final panels here are
heartwrenching.

It doesn’t feel right to comment on “Mixtape.” You should just read
this one and let it wash over you and remember your own lost loves.

“Breaking Up” is another little collection of insights into
relationships. For all we think our own heartbreaks are unique,
sometimes it helps to see someone else had them too, those moments when
your love is not on your side anymore, but really half a world away and
you can barely see them, let alone feel them.

All the pieces of “Damaged” don’t quite fit, and it’s my least favorite
art-wise of the bunch, but it still gets under my skin. It’s about that
guy none of us want to be, yet we can’t seem to stop chasing what makes
us turn into him: money, success, shallow relationships.

“Midnight to Six” is a shout out to the slacker generation, and in some
ways the simplest story here. No superpowers, no nothing except three
kids coming to terms with growing up, and like in “Stand Strong,”
learning how your best friends can disappoint.

Finally, “Mon Dernier Jour Avec Toi” is the dreamiest story of the
bunch, not really a story so much as a love song, to draw out the mix
tape metaphor even further. The story floats through Brooklyn, showing
for once all the perfect moments of a relationship, as if to remind us
after some of the cutting pieces here that there’s still reason to
trust people. And love them.

Demo isn’t a perfect collection, but each story has its own core
of truth and each brings something to the whole. You should read it.
And then hold your breath for the new Demo issues upcoming from Vertigo. I am.

Titans Companion 2

By Glen Cadigan

From: TwoMorrows Publishing

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: TwoMorrows does an absolute
champion job with their companions and reference books. One review
down, you’ll see Mike Lorah talk about a great volume from the Modern
Masters series. My call, though, is to look at the second companion
dealing with the rich history of the Teen Titans.

This installment, like most of the companions, is built around quality
interviews. Geoff Johns is all over the place here, talking about his
earlier Titans-related work (like the Beast Boy
mini), the relaunch with him and McKone, and the “One Year Later”
iteration. There’s also a big effort to include the creators of related
solo titles: Mark Waid talks about Impulse, Karl Kesel talks about
Superboy, Chuck Dixon holds forth on Robin. There’s a complete feeling
about this volume; Cadigan goes out of his way to make sure that this
is as comprehensive a volume as possible. You know that to be the case
when you see the time spent on things like the 2-year Jurgens series or
the JLA/Titans event. I also love that they included a long discussion
with Peter David about Young Justice.

Another great piece is a series of sections dealing with the animated
series. In addition to conversations with show personnel, we also get
interviews with the creators of the tie-in comics. Perhaps the best
part of this segment is an interview with Marv Wolfman and George Perez
detailing their reactions to seeing some of their seminal work on TV.

This volume is a must for Titans fans. It’s an expansive, well-crafted
look at the franchise that offers numerous insights and anecdotes.
Cadigan has a knack for pulling out great information, and TwoMorrows
organizes it all in an appealing way. For my money, any book from the
Companion series is essential reading.

Modern Masters vol. 15: Mark Schultz

By Eric Nolen-Weathington & Fred Perry

Published by TwoMorrows

Reviewed by Michael C Lorah

I somehow missed this volume when it came out a few months ago, so I
figured I’d mention it in case you’re like me and don’t always see the
good stuff the day is comes out.

Continuing the style of past Modern Masters, this volume
is a book-length interview with a modern cartoonist whose career and
work have established him as a creative leader in the medium. Clocking
in at nearly 100 pages, the interview touches on almost every aspect of
Schultz’s career, beginning with his education and interests before
launching into a lengthy discussion of his most famous creation, Xenozoic Tales.
In addition to considerable conversation about the creation and
development of the comic book series, Schultz is able to delve into the
pros and cons of seeing his creation become a multimedia property
outside his sphere of influence, as he reminisces about Xenozoic’s translation to toys and cartoons (CBS’s Cadillacs & Dinosaurs
in 1993) and recalls farming his title out to other creators for tie-in
comics (Topps’ comic series that shared its name with the cartoon).

Schultz’s work-for-hire career is also given a spotlight, with
frank discussions of the relative quality and creative ups and downs of
nearly every project he’s worked on, from Aliens and Predator stories to his four-plus year run on Superman: the Man of Steel.
Schultz is plain-spoken, willing to discuss the fun of working with his
fellow Superman creators (he has considerable praise for Man of Steel artist Doug Mahnke) yet also admit that he wasn’t able to examine aspects of the mythos that he’d’ve liked to explore.

At times, the interview could’ve gone deeper into specific subjects, notably Schultz’s current job writing the Prince Valiant newspaper strip and his upcoming projects Storms at Sea,
but as a historical overview of his career, there is little left out
and plenty of surprising and thought-provoking answers given.

Each page is lavishly decorated with hundreds of Schultz’s sketches and
final art pieces, and a 20-page gallery, including a too-short color
section, follows the interview portion. Early Xenozoic character sketches show the evolution of the characters and world, and offer comparison to recent illustrations of the Xenozoic.
Various other illustration jobs, including Conan work for compilations
of Robert E. Howard’s texts, character model sheets for Xenozoic sculptures, toys and animation, and various covers for projects including his own Subhuman, Jim Ottaviani’s terrific Cowboys, Bone Sharps and Thunder Lizards and DC’s Action Comics #836.

For fans of Schultz’s work or of classic adventure illustration, Modern Masters vol. 15: Mark Schultz is a clear winner and another very strong entry in TwoMorrows catalog of artist spotlights.

Marvel Graphic Novels and Related Publications: An Annotated Guide

Published by: McFarland Publishers

Written by: Robert G. Weinder

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Want to talk about a labor of love? How about trying to catalog and
document all of Marvel Comics’ graphic novels, trade paperbacks, prose
novels, and children’s books ever published? That’s exactly what Rob
Weiner does in this thoroughly exhaustive reference book. Over five
years in the making, Weiner gives Marvel fans a one-stop shopping place
for information on all of these books published through 2005.

As I paged through the book I was simply blown away by the amount of
information inside. I had no idea that there were so many books out
there. But of course, in the past decade, we’ve seen this trend towards
preprinting story arcs of varying numbers of issue into book format.
Comic fans are no longer merely collectors and some are not collectors
at all. They still want to keep up with their favorite characters and
buying one book every six months versus having to run to the comic
store monthly is simply more desirable for a lot of people and for
those people especially, this is a fantastic tool.

What I love about Weiner’s layout is that he didn’t just decide to list
books in alphabetical order but instead he grouped the sections by
subject matter or characters. For example there is a section for
Marvel’s Superheroes with subsections for individual heroes or groups
of heroes such as The Avengers, Conan/Kull, Hulk and She-Hulk, Thor,
X-Men/Mutants, Wolverine, etc…

Next is the section for special volumes and series like the Marvel
Masterworks and Essentials lines and Epic Comics graphic novels,
followed by sections for Children’s books, Prose novels, Marvel/DC
crossovers, guidebook and indexes and more. Nearly 400 page in all and
it’s all backed up by a comprehensive index or indexes I should say as
there are three of them: one for title, one for artist/author, and one
for subject making it easy to pickup and find exactly what book you are
looking for. There are even three appendices including one for all of
the Marvel Superheroes game books and modules published by TSR.

Now if this were just a list that might be good enough but it isn’t.
Once you look up a book, Weiner provides the artist, writer, year of
publication, ISBN#, the issues the book reprints if applicable and a
comprehensive summary of the plot. Now I don’t know if Mr. Weiner
actually read all of these books but it doesn’t really matter…there is
a wealth of information here that is indispensable for Marvel fans.
Extraordinarily researched and meticulously laid out, the book is well
worth the $49.95 price tag.

Sky Pirates of Valendor #3 (sneak preview!)

Written and created by Everett Soares

Art by Brian Brinlee

Inked by Micheal W. Keller

Coloring by Jet Amago

Published by Free Lunch Comics

First agenda of the day: let's explore the world of Valendor. At my
primary glimpse, I thought I was looking at "Pirates of the Dark
Water", but as I read the script "Sky Pirates" is more of a mix of
Tellos and a steampunk pirate mesh. Now, Sky Pirates #3 hasn't come out
yet and for those of you who have no idea what's going on let's play
catch up. The main character in the series is Tobin Manheim, captain of
the Rogue's Revenge. His crew is an assortment of characters, but they
have the usual cliches covered. Gearz, the android warrior who happens
to be Tobin's ex-wife. Bryan is a man-bear beast, the tank of the team
though highly intelligent.

Fritz, gnome/dwarfish looking fellow who is the ship's engineer and a
pretty good fighter. Finally, there is Shyni, the cat-woman seductress
and agile warrior.

The story arc for the series focuses on an assignment that Tobin is
hired by the Governor of Southgate to complete. In issue #1, Captain
Tobin is summoned to Governor Langford's office. It is there where he
is offered the job of rescuing Melissa from the Temple Khorii. There is
a sequence of flashback sequences where Tobin recalls a not-so-pleasant
experience he had with his eternal enemy. At the end of the issue,
Tobin is reacquainted with Gearz, his ex-wife. Gearz has been hired by
Governor Langford to make sure Tobin does the job he has been hired,
and paid in advance, to do.

In Issue 2, the crew of the Rogue's Revenge embarks on their journey to
find the mysterious kidnapped one. To get there, though, the reader is
taken on a tour of Croix, the pirate port of Valendor. You see, Tobin
needs to call in a favor or two to help him accomplish his assignment.
So, he visits the Pirate Guild to ask the Pirate Queen for assistance.
Prior to entering the Guild, Tobin realizes there is a bounty on his
head for not paying his Guild dues. As a young handsome pirate can do,
he charms his way to get the bounty lifted and the Queen to assist him
by calling off harbor patrols for the evening. The crew knows that the
task of rescuing Melissa is not going to be an easy one so we have the
opportunity in this issue to see them run through the steps and what
they actually go through to get there.

In Issue 3, the crew has to settle an old score with a Minotaur captain
and try to patch up their wounds. Tobin had been injured previously and
is still suffering from the side effects. Gearz has a bit of trouble
with her programming and goes into warrior mode and we see what she
really is capable of doing though luckily Tobin deactivates her fury by
reciting their marriage vows. The skirmish with the Minotaurs and
Carnon Shield Smasher is brief, but ends with Tobin using his brain to
kill his oversized rival. I like how there is a note from the
authorthat explains some terminology. Sometimes fantasy books forget an
index or glossary and it becomes confusing on what exactly they are
talking about. They even explain some notes on the Pirate Code and an
Elder Scroll about the New Age.

This is first real attempt at writing a comic book series by Everett
Soares, the creator and writer. True, he's a novice, but they don't
stay that way forever. His world is lush and wide. I'd love to see what
other lands exist in his mind.

Brian Brinlee's style is cartoonish enough while still holding some
seriousness to it. He is a fantasy artist and his works are mainly
covers and RPG illustrations. He's obviously a fan of Tellos from how
the characters are designed, but they remain distinct. You can tell his
heart is really into his work. My main criticism is how his pencils are
inked. Michael W. Kellar was a staff inker for Gravitywell Productions.
This is his first book since that gig. So, I could associate his work
with that he could be slightly rusty. Still, the line work is too broad
at times and still looks, well, not the best.

The series isn't colored, save the cover. True, it would look better
colored, but myself in the Indie game I know how freaking expensive
that can be. So they have Jet Amago. He is a very talented artist with
an exquisite line of work to his name. He does the grayscale on the
book and it works out just fine.

Everett and the team entered a contest last year that they finished in
2nd place out of 113 contestants. The contest netted them a published
Issue #0 and then a contract with Free Lunch Comics. All of the issues
collectively have sold close to 700 copies, through independent
distribution. The series will be going to TPB at the beginning of the
new year. This series is something I am looking forward to and if you
have a young one who's a fan of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and even
Pirates of the Carribean, they should pick this up and see how they
fancy it. More than likely the will love it and if you're a not so
young one and you're a fan of Tellos and Battle Chasers or maybe
remember and were a fan of Pirates of the Dark Water, then you should
check it out yourself this July.

PELLET REVIEWS!

Jonah Hex #33 (DC; review bt Rev. O.J. Flow): With all due
respect to every artist who has contributed to this series, issue #33
is a solid argument for my theory that bringing in more A-list talent
on hand to contribute would do the book here a great service. As much
enjoyment as I get on a monthly basis out of DC's best Western ongoing
book, I was especially thrilled to see that writers Justin Gray and
Jimmy Palmiotti (superb month in, month out) were joined here by the
peerless Darwyn Cooke. Every dynamic storytelling nuance that Cooke
blew me away with, and countless other readers, in DC: The New Frontier
can be found is this one-and-done issue that finds Jonah Hex
uncharacteristically in the Great White North. Gray & Palmiotti
have an uncanny knack for throwing the reader a curveball somewhere in
the narrative, and I have to say this issue's surprise came with the
eventual revelation of the lead character (who recalls this whole
episode, by the way) and his physical shortcoming that can't be much
help as a youth stranded in the harsh winter wilderness fresh off of
becoming an orphan. Just when you think that this character's savior
may have a glimmer of humanity in him, he holds true to form -- but
isn't that what makes him so compelling in the first place? And I do
have to say that I would hold this book up to any of DC's more
high-profile titles in terms of gripping cover-to-cover action. You
simply have to put Jonah Hex way up high on that list. I hope we get to
see more of Cooke's work here in the future, so long as this book
remains in DC's rotation. Perhaps he can afford us Hex fans at the very
least an annual visit.

Avengers/Invaders #3 (Marvel/Dynamite; by Troy): Let’s talk about Sadowski’s art for a minute: Wow. I was a big fan of his work on JSA,
but he’s doing a really terrific job at capturing the many, many
characters here. There are some great moments in this one, including
Namor vs. Namor, Baby Namor (that one’s for you, Caleb), the love the
LMDs have for Jim Hammond, and Bucky’s surprising ruthlessness. At
present, the role of the Avengers is mainly supporting, and that’s
fine. I didn’t realize that I missed the Invaders until Ross, Krueger
and Sadowski reminded me.

Red Sonja #35 (Dynamite; by Troy): The new direction takes hold
in fine style as writer Brian Reed and artist Walter Geovani work the
reinvention. Reed does a great job in putting down layers of character
and setting up a new status quo (to quickly shatter, no doubt).
Geovani’s work reminds me of Lee and Silvestri, by turns, but in a good
way. This is definitely a great jumping-on point for potential new
readers, and I appreciate the slow build. Good stuff.

Army of Darkness/Xena, Warrior Princess (Dynamite; by Troy):
This crossover has been fair to middling, but this issue finally kicks
in the inspired lunacy that’s inherent in the premise. There are a lot
of laughs to be found, notably Ash’s assertion to “Just tell ‘em it’s magic. Stick to that and you can get away with all kinds of ridiculous crap!”

The Walking Dead #50 (Image; by Troy): It’s obvious that Kirkman
and the gang have been influenced by Romero, but the long specter of
Cormac McCarthy also manifests itself over this issue as Carl struggles
to keep things together for himself and his ailing father. This issue
is top-flight coiled suspense. The destruction of the prison safety net
opens up a number of possibilities for the story, and I’m even more
curious at this point to see where it’s going to lead. Regardless of
that, the success and longevity of this book should be celebrated.